TVKANNID.K — TIIK FLYCATCIIEUS. 



3o:] 



Contopus borealis, IVmrd. 



OUVE-SIDED FLTCATCHEB. 



Tiirannus borai/i.i, Sw. k Kicii. F. IJor.-Am. II, 1J531, 141, plate. Mifiobius bormUs, 

 tlllAY, (n-rn'ra, I, 248. Mu^ioipa ciMijnri, NlTT.VLL, Man. 1, ISoJ, 2>5J. -Ail>. 

 Orii. Biog. II, 1»34, 422; V, 183'.;, 422, |.l. tl.xxiv. — Ib. SyiK)i.>is, l8.ii», 41. - lu. 

 Hinl-s Am. I, 1840, 212, \>\. Iviii. Tifrininus conjH'ri, Bo.n.vi'. List, 1838. — Nrn.vi.i., 

 Miin. I, (2(1. vi\.,) 184<», 21*8. Coufojnts ompfri, ('An.vMs, Journal liir Oniithol. Ill, 

 Nov. l»r».'), 470. Miiscioipd inonwtii, Xitiam,, Man. I, 1832, 282. ('imf<>j>>is bni:>i/is, 

 Baihi), Binls \, Am. 18;>8, 188. — Coopku & Slcklky, 100, —Sclatkk, (."atal. 1m>2, 

 230, — Sami-kls, 13.'.. — C'ouPKK, Oin. Cal. 1, 1870, 323. Confopus inrsufcKCits, Scl.A- 

 TEiJ. p. Z. S. 1859, 43. — Ib. IbLs, lSu9, 122, 151. Tyranaiui niyricana. Max. Cab. 

 J. VI, 18.:S, 184. 



Sp. Char. Wind's long, much pointed ; the second quill longest ; the first longer than 

 the thinl. Tail deeply forked. Tar.si short. The upper parta aj;hy-brown, showing 

 darker brown centres of the feathers; this is emi- 

 nently the case on the top of the head : the sides of 

 the head and neck, of the breast and body, resem- 

 bling the back, but with the edge.s of the teathei's 

 tinged with gray, leaving a darker central streak. 

 The chin, throat, narrow line down the middle of the 

 breast and body, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts 

 white, or .sometimes with a faint tinge of yellow. 

 The lower tail-covertjs somewhat streaked with brown 

 in the centre. On each side of the rump, generally 

 concejiled by the wings, is an elongated bunch of 

 white silky feathers. The wings and tail very dark 

 brown, the former with the edges of the secondaries 

 and tertials edged with dull white. The lower wing- 

 coverts and axillaries grayish-brown. The tips of the 

 primaries and tail-feathers rather paler. Feet and 



upper mandible black, lower mamlible brown. The young of the year similar, but the 

 color duller; edges of wing-feathers «hill rusty instead of grayish-white. The feet light 

 brown. Length, 7.o() ; wing, -l.-lo ; tail, 3.30; tarsus, .GO. 



Hab. Xorlhern portions of whole of Xorth America, throughout Rot.-ky Mountains, 

 .south thr;)ugh elevated regions of Mexico to Costa Rica. Localities : Oaxaca, high regions, 

 Oct (ScL. IS.'iS^, 301); Xalapa (Sol. 1859, 300) ; Guatemala (Scl, Ibis, T, 122); Costa 

 Rica (Lawr. IX. 115); Veragua (Salv. 1870, 190); San Antonio, Texas (Drksskr, Ibis. 

 18G5, 47-1, winter). 



There is wonderfully little variation in this species, hoth in coloration and 

 size, with diflerent rej^ions ; in fact none other than individual can be 

 observed. Contrary to the usual rule, spring specimens have a more 

 appreciable sulpliur-yellow tingje below. 



Habits. This still comparatively rare species was first obtained by Rich- 

 ardson and described 1)y Swainson. The specimen was sliot on the Sas- 

 katchewan, No other was taken, and no information was obtained in reference 

 to its habits. It appears to have been next met with by ^Ir. Jolin Bethune, 

 in Cambridge, June 7, 1830, in the woods of Mount Auburn. This and a 



Contopus horfnUs. 



VOL. IF. 



45 



